30 accused declared absconders in Jinnah House arson case
The Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander House), which was set afire by supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan during a protest against his arrest, in Lahore, on May 9, 2023. PHOTO: Reuters/FILE
In a significant development related to the Jinnah House arson case, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore declared 30 undercover suspects absconders on Wednesday, Express News reported.
The case pertains to the alleged attack on the historic Corps' Commander’s House, originally known as Jinnah House, which served as the residence of the founding father of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The attack, believed to be orchestrated by supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), unfolded hours after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested PTI founder Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case on May 9 of the previous year.
Also read: Imran, his ex-ministers get bail in May 9 cases
Among the accused declared as absconders are Tahira Yasmeen, Asma Mumtaz, Rizwana Ghazanfar, Hayat Sikander, Waqas Ahmed Mohsin, Owais Khan, Amjad Parvez Abbasi, Raja Shah Nawaz, Tanzeela Imran Khan, Shunila Ruth, Zahid Lodhi, Malik Taimur, and others.
The police filed a request to declare the accused as absconders, citing their failure to appear despite the publication of advertisements. The investigating officer informed the court that the accused had gone into hiding, fearing arrest.
Judge Muhammad Naveed Iqbal of the Anti-Terrorism Court accepted the police's request, officially declaring the 30 accused as absconders.